Rail joint and plate therefor



Sept, 22, 1925.

Ff?. E. FEM@ mu. JOINT AND FILME; THEREWR A l l l Sept. 22, 1925.

R. B. FEHR RAIL JOINT AND PLATE THEREFOK AFiled Nov. 24. 1924 z shuts-shui. '2 v INVENTOR JVM,

l Y n 4 4 M, www ATTO NEY Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

TES

fr Price.

RGY FEHR, 0F CLEVELAND, 01H0, SSGNOEL T0 RAIL VJIIN'G da'. BONDING- COMPANY, 0E CLE'VElLIiID, QHIQ, A. CORPORATIN i DELAWARE.

RAIL JOINT AND PLATE THEREFOR.

Application led November 24, 192e. Serial No. 751,86'1.

To (.Zt wlmi/v. 'it may concer/11..'

Be itr known that I` l'io B. Florin, a Citizen ol the United States. residing' at Cleveland. in'the county of Cuyahogay and State of Ghio` have invented certain new and usel'ul improvements in Rail Joints and Plates l`herelor, oi which the 'following is a specifieation.

' This invention relates to welded rail, joints and parts thereof.

It also relates to a rail joint plate comhining` a relatively stili' hase flange provided with seam metal positioning means remote 'from 'the lateral edges thereof.7

lt. also relates to a4 rail `joint plate havingra relatively high seetion modulus and provideditrwith means l'or positioning seam metaijin .welding engagement with a rail head, and with a rail hase remote from the edge thereof.

It further relates to a rail ljoint havingimproved physical properties includingr strength, lite'. and resistance toi fatigue and composed of a new and improved combination of strength-@ying features, practices and pars.

lt still further relatestoa new and im- 'if I j'sliown in Fig. l;

proved n'iethod of producing a rail joint having' the foregoing` properties and` characteristics.

Rail joints as consti-tufted prior to my invention have sometimes broken in the welded seams and at the ends of the rails through the middh` of the plates under-the foi-ees produced on the joint hy a car pass'l ing over the rails. and which also caused excessive 4stresses in the seam welds. The sertion niodulns oi' the plates was limited by the desire to lstop the hase portion or flanges ol" the joint plates shortot the edges ot' the rail hase so that weld metal could he positioned over a relatively thiol; part of the rail base for seruring the plate on the hase.

l have. however, provided a new and improved joint plate l'or a welded rail jointin which is eomhined a relatively high section modulus particularly at and adjaeent to theI ends of the rails where the maximum hemlinfr moment oeenrs and which has a hase flange so shaped as to permit the loration of seam welds on the base of the rail remote from the edges thereof.

Other rail hreakaees haveoeeurred with welded rail joints in the rails at points adjacent to the 'ends of the joint plates'and apparently were due to the flexural stresses heine; largely concentrated in the rail at the ends of the plates. This source of weakness was apparently made more serious when plates, thereby obtaining a fillet effect and further by staggering the ends of the seam welds and also stopping the welds short of the ends of theplates. i

These and other improvements Will be pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings accompanying this application and forming a part thereof- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rail. joint. embodying' my invention;

Fig. 2 is a 4cross section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of tliejoint Fig. 4 isa top plan View of a rail joint embodying a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation section as taken on line of Fig. 4;

Fig. t3 is a side elevation of theright side of the joint shown in Fig. 5; and

Fin'. .7 is an elevational `vimvof the left side of the joint shown in Fig.

Fife'. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing how tapered pins may be inserted into the openings in the rails and plates to cause mutual endwise compression of the rails. j

Referring first to the forni of myl invention shown in F l and 3. 1 indicates each ot twoaligned rail ends havingsubstantially alnittinpr engagement. 2 indicates the.

webs of the rails 1, and 3 the rail bases.

with parts in y become assembled with mutually endwise vcompression set up in each rail. In this coni dition securing bolts may be placed in 9 and 9` and nuts tightened thereon to maintain the rail and base in assembled position while the tapered pins are driven from holes S and 8a and replaced by similar bolts.

Each plate 4 is provided along the top surface of the head flange 5 with means for positioning seam weld metal adjacent to the rail head. In the illustration shown this means comprises a substantially 'horizontal top ,surface extending back under the rail head and forwardly of the rail head to form a ledge. Each plate 4 is provided in the base flange 6 with means for maintaining weld metal on the rail base remote from the edge of the base. This means is illustrated as vspaced perforations 11 elongated in a direction lengthwise of the plates and preferably inclined at an angle to the web 4a to the plates 4, as shown. Additional perforations may adjacent to sembled, as above described, the plates may be united to the rails by seam weld metal 10% formed between the head of the rail and the head flange 5 of the plates and by weld metal 11u formed in perforations 11 and resting on the bases of the rails. I preferl to sto the seam weld metal 102L short of each en `of the plate 4, as indicated at 10b in `-ig.` 1. j

It will be seen that this seam Weld'metal is thus disposed remote from the ends of the plates and the weld metal 11n is also disosed remote from the edges ,of the iail ases.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted l that `the ends of the plates are shown as being staggered transversely ol the rail so that the ends of the plates arenot in alignment. In this manner a fillet effect is obtained not only between the rails and the ends of the staggered plates but also between the `rails and plates and the seam welds which are also staggered.

A It will be noted that plates `4ai'e substantially similar buty are unsymn'ietrical regards the downturned flange 7 and the perfor-ations 11. By reason of this unsymmetrical arrangement the plates need not be `if desired, a

be made throu h the flanges 6 at points After the `plates `and ralls have been as-k made in pairs but yet are automatically staggered to a jnedetermned amount when assembled to form a joint.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, wherein I have illustrated a modified form of rail joint embodying my invention, 13 indicates each of two aligned substantially abutting rail ends, each having a head 13a, a web 14 and base flanges 15. On opposite sides of the rails channeled joint plates '16 and 17 are disposed, the plates having, respectively, a web 16n and 17, which webs may be slightly bowed or arched as shown head flange 16b andv 17 b and base flanges 16c and 17"'. The webs 14 have the ordinary bolt holes 18 and 19a extending `therethrough substantially as shown and corresponding to holes 8 and 9L shown in Fig.` 1, while the webso'li plates 1.6 and 17 are similarly formed with corresponding holes 18 and 19 corresponding to the holes 8 and 9 `of Fig. 1, the holes preferably being misaligned in substantially the samey respect as is shown in Fig. 1 and described hereinabove. Bolts 20 are shown securing the plates and -rails in the assembled position with the rail ends being under mutual endwise compression.

The base flanges of the plates '16 and 17 are shown as being strengthened intermediate their ends and adjacent to the meeting ends of the rails 13 bybeing extended laterally some distance from the webs 16a and 17 and in this modification this extension is continued for substantially the entire ylength of the plates. The base flanges 16c and 17c extend toward and preferably substantially flush with the edges of the base 15 of the rail. Means in the form of inclined portions 16C" and 17l extending well beneath the adjacent rail head to form a recess and preferably extending Yforwardly of said head to lorm a ledge are shownas provided on the top head flanges 16 and 17" to position seam weld metal in contact betweenjthe plates and the heads of the rails 1B. Means are provided Vin the base flanges of the plates for positioning seam weld metal remote from the ends ol' the plates and from the edges of the rail bases in the form of perforations 21 extending through the flanges to expose the rail bases. `The plates 16 and 17 are preferably assembled with the -rails 153 so that their ends are staggered when viewed transversely of the rail, shown in Fig. 4. In addition to such staggering l prefer to make one of the plates somewhat shorter than the other and to employ ajshort plate and a long plate in pairs in each joint. In this manner automatic staggering of the ends oi' the plates is provided 'for and considerable material saved in the constrmftion of' the short plates.

In the modificationk shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the fillet ell'ect between the ends of' the plates flanges 16D, 16,

and the rail is obtained, as described in connection with the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and hy stopping the seam weld metal short of the ends of the head flanges 16h and 17b of the plates a corresponding fillet effect may be obtained between the rail and seam weld metal.

It will be noted that due. to the extended 17b and 17 the plates 16 and 17 are provided with large areas for fishing contact with boththe rail head and rail base, A further advantage inherent in plates having channel section or top flanges extending outwardly beyond the track bolts and nuts as shown is that a defining' bar when used inwelding is thereby positioned out of contact or even close proximity to the bolts and nuts which often interfere with the bar in other types ot joint plates, e configuration of the surfaces 16 and 17" of the plates facilitates the formation ot' seam weld metal to join the plates to rail heads inasmuch as ample space is provided' between these surfaces and the adjacent upright surfaces of the rail into which the flame of the electric are may readily be directed, as will be. understood by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention so that those skilled in the art may practice. ther same, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed, it being understood that various changes in the details of the modifications shown and. described hereinabove may be made without departing from the spirit ot lny invention.

at is claimed is 1. The method of constructing a seam welded rail joint which comprises aligning adjacent rail ends, fitting joint plates in fishing relation on opposite sides ot' the rail ends` said plates having a rail base engaging flange extending toward the outer edge of the. rail base, and having perforations therethrough rail head to form a recess and extendingI forwardly of the rail head to form a ledge, said plates each having a rail base engaging flange extending toward the outer edge of the rail base, each said rail base engaging 'flange having p y torations therethrough to expose therail base remote 4from the edge to expose the rail base remote `from the edge thereof, bringing the rail `united to the edges of said thereof", and fusing with the elertrio are adjacent portions ot' the rall 'head and the upper surface ot ein-h plate and fusing therewith additional metal loforni a seam weld disposed in the recess and on the ledge and integrally unitedto the rail head and plate, and fusing the portions ofthe rail bases exposed through the perforations in the plates and the adjacent sides of the perforations and fusingtherewith additional metal to form welds integrally uniting said rail bases and plates.

3. The method of constructing a seam welded rail joint. which 'comprises aligning adjacent rail ends, fitting in lishing'relation on opposite sides of the rail ends joint plates having their ends nnaligned and holes therethrough, said holes being slightly unaligned with corresponding holes in the rail ends, each said plate having a surface along the top edge thereof extending well beneath the adjacent rail head to form a recess and extending forwardly of the rail head to form a grooif'e, said plates each having a rail base engaging flange extending toward the outer edgeof the rail base, each said rail base engaging 'flange having perforations therethrough to expose the rail base remote from the edge thereof", driving drift pins through slightly unaligned holes in the plates anda'ail ends to bring the railheads together under moderate mutual cndwise compression, and fusing-with `the earbon arc adjacent portion. of the rail head and the Aupper suid'acel ofeach plate and fus` ing therewith additionalRxinetal to form ,a seam weld disposed in the recess and on ,the

j ledge and integrally united` to therail heady and tothe plate, each said seam feld stopping .short ot' the ends ot theI plateylme said seanilwelds ending in dill'erent fyvertical planes, and fusingthe portions ol the rail basesexposed through the perl'orations in the plates and the adjacent sides ol' the perforations and fusing therewith 'inlditioi'ial `nietalto forni welds integrally unitingsaid rail bases and plates.

AIseagn welded rail joint roniprising alignedfadjacenl; rail ends. joint/plates arranged on opposite sides of the rail ends, each plate having a rail base engaging flange extending toward the outer edge of' the rail base, each said flange having perforations therein remote from the edge thereol and weld metal in said perforations integrally united to the portions ot the rail base beneath said perforations and A integrally pertorations.

5. A seam Welded rail joint comprising aligned adjacent rail ends, joint plates arranged on opposite sides of the rail ends engaging the heads and bases of the rails in vfishing relation, each plate having a rail base engaging outwardly extending flange hav..

ing a central portion extending beyondthe adjacent rail heads said joint plates eaeh having a surface along tegi-ally united to tl the rail ends engaging the he of the rails 1n fishing relation, eaeh said-v theto'p edge :thereotl extending well beneath the adjaeent 'ail head to torina ret-ess and extending forwardly of the rail l \ad to form a ledge,` said plates eaeh havinga rail base engaging'tlange extending toward the outer edge of thel rail base, eaeh said rail baseengaging flange having elongated perH forations Vtherethrough remote troni the edge thereof, weld nietal in said perforations inie portionsof the rail base beneath said perforations and integrally unitedto the edges of said perfor-ations, seam Weld metal in eaeh., said reeess and on each said ledge integrally united to the said platsanlf rail heads.

75A s'am welded rail joint eoniprising aligned adjacent' rail ends, ehannel shaped: joint plates arranged on opposite sides plate having a surface along t l1e top edge thereof extending well beneath the adjaeent rail head to forni a recess' and extending for! wardly of the said head to lform a ledge, eaeh plate having a rail base e extending toward the outer edge ot the rail hase, eaeh said rail basefengaging tlange having elongated perforations theretlnmlgh relnote from the edge thereof. weld nietal inL said pert'orations integrally united to thti portions ot the rail base beneath said per-2 forations and integrally united to the edges ot' said pertm'ations, seam weld nietal in each said 'recess and on eaeh said ledge'integrally 'united to the. said plates and rail heads. i l

S. A seani welded rail joint comprising aligned adjacent rail ends, joint plates arranged on opposite sides of the rail ends4 engaging the heads and bases of the rails in lishingrelation and having their ends nnaligned, eaeh said plate having a surface along the top edge thereof extending well beneath the adjaeent rail 'head'to forni areress l and extending forwardly of the saidhead to form -afledge, eaeh plate having a rail base' engaging fiange extending toward the outer edgefof thefrail base and having elongated perforations vtherethrough remote from the edge of the rail base, weld nietal in said perforations integrally united to the port-ions ally united to the-V K ads and bases ngaging i'langeA of the rail base beneath said perforations and integrallyT united to the edges of said perforations, seam weld metal in each said recess and on eaeh said ledge integrally united to the said plates and rail heads, said .seani welds stopping short of the ends of the platesand ending in different vertical planes. I v

9. A seani welded rail joint eonijiirising alignedfadjaeent rail ends, joint plates arrangedqon. opposite sides of the rail ends engaging the heads and bases of the rails in tishing relation and having their ends unaligned. eaeh saidplate having a surface along the top edge thereof extendingr well 'beneath the adjaeent. rail head to 'torni a reressand extending forwardly of the said head toforin a ledge, each plate having a rail base engaging portion extendinglaterally well beyond the edge of the rail base and bent down intermediate the ends of the plate and having elongated perforations through the rail base engaging portion reinote troni the edge of the rail hase, weld inetal in said perforations integrally united Cil to the portions of the rail base beneath said perforations and integrally 'united to the edges of said perforations seam weld metal in each said recess. anden each said ledge integrally unitedyto the said plates and rail heads. said seani welds stopping short of the endsioftheplates land ending `in different verti'eal planes. 4

'10. jeintplate for a welded rait-joint having' an integrally formed rail base en-A gaging out\\'ar lly extending tiange having lperforations therein to expose the rail base remote from the edge thereof. l f ll. 'A joint plate for a welded rail joint "",having a top weld metal receiving surface fdapted to extend well beneath the adjacent 'r'ail head to forni a recess and forwardly ,'o'l' said head to forni a ledge and having an integrallyformed rail-base engaging outwardly extending flange having perforations therein to expose the rail base reniote tf1-oni the edge thereof,

'12. A joint plate for a welded rail joint, said plate being rhannel shaped in Cross lseetion and having a top surface adapted to llO extend 'well beneath an adjaeent rail head to forni a reeess and foi wardly of said head to forni a ledge and having a rail base engag- Vving outwardly extending tiange having ,elongated perforations therein toeixpose the rail base remote from the edgtl thereof and adapted to receive weld metal.

13. A joint plate for a welded rail joint having a top surfaee for supporting weld nietal .in eentat with the side and under surface of a rail head and having a rail base engaging flange extending laterally wellbeyond the edge of the rail base and bent downwardly intermediate the ends thereof and having perforations therein to exposed the rail base remote from the edge thereof.

14. A joint plate for a welded rail joint' having a top surface adapted to extend well beneath an adjacent rail head to form a recess and forwardly of said head to form a ledge and having a rail base engaging outwardly extending flange with perforations therethrough to expose the rail base remote from the edgel thereof, said platehaving reinforcing means intermediate the ends thereof.

- 15.'A joint plate for a welded rail joint having a top surface adapted to extend well beneath an adjacent rail head to form a recess and forwardly of said head to form a ledge and having a rail base enga ing portion adapted to extend laterally we 1 beyond the edge of the rail base and bent down intermediate the ends thereof, saidtrailbase engaging portion having perforations therethrough to expose the rail base remote from the edge thereof. l

. In testimony whereof Lhereunto aix my f signature this 4th day of November,`1924.,

ROY BENNER FEI-IR. 

